Academy Award® winning actor DENZEL WASHINGTON (Herman Boone) is a man constantly on the move, never comfortable repeating himself or his successes. Washington is always in search of new challenges; his numerous and varied film and stage portrayals bear this out. From Trip, an embittered runaway slave in "Glory" to South African freedom fighter Steven Biko in "Cry Freedom;" from Shakespeare's tragic historical figure in "Richard III" to the womanizing trumpet player Week Gilliam in Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues," Washington has amazed amid entertained us with a rich and colorful array of characters distinctly his own. Included in this list is the role of Navy Lt. Commander Ron Hunter from producer Jerry Bruckheimer's 1995 action adventure "Crimson Tide." He starred opposite Gene Hackman in this critically acclaimed film directed by Tony Scott.
Among Denzel's more commanding performances to date was the role of Malcolm X, the complex and controversial Black activist in Spike Lee's biographical epic, "Malcolm X." Monumental in scope and filmed over a period of six months in the United States and Africa, 'Malcolm X" was hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of the best films of 1992. For his portrayal, Denzel received a number of accolades including an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actor.
Washington was honored with a Golden Globe Award amid an Academy Award nomination for his starring role in Universal's "Hurricane," re-teaming with director Norman Jewison. Earlier this year he starred in the title role of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the world middleweight champion boxer during the early 1960s who was twice wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of three white men in a New Jersey bar.
His diverse range of characters is evidenced in "The Bone Collector"' in which he played a quadriplegic detective who is a forensics expert. An adaptation of Jeffrey Deaver's novel about the search for a serial killer, the film co-starred Angelina Jolie ("Gone in 60 Seconds") and was directed by Phillip Noyce.
In 1998, Washington starred in the crime thriller "Fallen" for director Greg Hoblit and in Spike Lee's "He Got Game." He re-teamed with director Ed Zwick in the terrorist thriller "The Seige," costarring with Annette Bening and Bruce Willis. In 1996 he also starred in Zwick's critically acclaimed military drama "Courage under Fire" costarring Meg Ry an. That same year he appeared opposite Whitney Houston in Penny Marshall's romantic comedy 'The Preacher's W ife." In 1995 Denzel starred in the futuristic thriller "Virtuosity" and in the 1940s romantic mystery: "Devil in a Blue Dress" (the latter, which his Muddy Lane Entertainment produced along with Jonathan Demme's Clinica Estetico.)
In addition to his accomplishments on screen, Washington recently took on a different role. He served as executive producer on "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream," a documentary for TBS, which was nominated for an Emmy Award. Additionally, Washington's narration of the legend of "John Henry" was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. He was awarded for the 1996 NAACP Image Award for his performance in the animated children's special "Happily Ever After: Rumpelstiltskin."
A native of Mt. Vernon, New York, Washington had his sights set on medicine when he attended Fordham University. During a stint as a summer camp counselor he appeared in a theatre production and was bitten by the acting bug. He returned to Fordham that year seeking the tutelage of Robinson Stone, one of the school's leading professors. Upon graduation, he was accepted into San Francisco's prestigious American Conservatory Theatre. Following an intensive year of study, he returned to New York after a brief stop in Los Angeles.
Washington's professional New York theatre career began with Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park and was quickly followed by numerous off-Broadway productions including "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men;" "When the Chickens Came Home to Roost;" "One Tiger to a Hill;" "Man and Superman;" "Othello" and "A Soldier's Play," for which he won an Obie Award. His more recent stage appearances include the Broadway production of "Checkmates" and "Richard III." In 1982, Washington re-created his role from "A Soldier's Play" in Norman Jewison's film version re-titled "A Soldier's Story." He went on to star in Sidney Lumet's "Power;" Richard Attneborough's "Cry Freedom" (for which he received his first Oscar nomination); "For Queen and Country;" "The Mighty Quinn;" "Heart Condition;" "Glory" for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; "Mo' Better Blues;" "Ricochet" and "Mississippi Masala."
Additional film credits include Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing," Jonathan Demme's controversial "Philadelphia" with Tom Hanks and "The Pelican Brief" based on the John Grisham novel.
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